1. Being Eveleen

It was always dark, Light was a myth and colors where a lack of description. But sound was vibrant and the only world she had ever known. She could hear stronger than all the people she had ever made contact with, One of the reasons why she now was completely alone from any human contact. She felt her senses sky rocket as new sounds penetrated her ears. Sounds that were not registered to an object or an action in her mind sent the hairs on her neck into a standing position. So as she sat in the cool shade of a willow tree she listened to the sound of lapping water as it slid down her throat. She listened to the wind as it mad the leaves above her head dance in response. She believed the world she lived in was truly beautiful she only wished she could share it with someone who truly would understand its beauty.

The shade shifted and she knew that she had been away from the orphanage for too long and soon the head mistress would worry. Standing up she placed her feet in familiar foot falls. She walked back to the orphanage on the familiar path. Being blind she preferred not to where shoes being able to feel the earth helped her to know it better. Sure it tore up her feet but she didn’t care about dainty feet. People often told her she had great beauty but looks didn’t matter to her she never once saw herself in the mirror. She never put on makeup. Her world was void of appearance, so when she thought of the future and marriage she thought of voice and touch, she thought of what it would be like with that person, the person’s heart and mind. Could some one ever love her, the girl blind from birth who knows not the world of the seeing?

The Orphanage was a girls’ orphanage. Girls of all ages under eighteen lived in the home. It was a three floor brick building with broken shutters and a yard falling to pieces. Eveleen was seventeen and the only one in the home that was blind. Being blind didn’t stop her from having chores like the other girls. In fact she was in charge of caring for Small group of infants. She spent lots of time feeding and cleaning and playing with the infants. She learned to tell them apart by touch, she knew by the feel of their hair or if they had no hair which baby it was. She had only a few hours of the day to herself and that is when she would go out to the willow tree and contemplate her world and the worlds she didn’t know and would never know.

Eveleen made it back in time for supper. She fed the infants then joined the older girls for supper. At the orphanage there was three set times for supper. The infants ate first warm bottles of formula, the group who ate at this time along with the infants where the toddlers some eating mushy food others newly introduced to solids. After they ate the second group ate their supper and these girls where anywhere from five to thirteen years old and they were given about a half an hour to eat and socialize. Then it was the older girls and the staff they were given a full hour, their food was more edible too with bigger portions. Eveleen during this time would often eat alone unless someone came over to join her and when she had finished her meal she would go out in the moon light and tend to her own little garden.

The orphanage had given each of the older girls’ gardens so they could work on being self-sufficient. That if they were not adopted in their remaining time they would have some skills and something to take with them when they went from the orphanage. Eveleen had been growing fruits and vegies and an assortment of herbs. The cook would trade her cooking lessons for some of her herbs. Eveleen had a green thumb and everything she grew in her garden had better quality then most of the girls. Her tomatoes were now ready for picking so after supper she picked a few and brought them to the cook.

“Oh child those are beautiful , but I’ve nothing left to teach you Eveleen ,” said cook as she watched Eveleen caring in her pickings .

“Oh cook these are not for trade, They are a gift, I turn eighteen next week and after I turn eighteen I will only have a few weeks before I must leave here, You have become my only friend and I wanted to give you a gift before I left,” she laughed and set the container down smiled at the cook and found her way back to her garden spot. Cook had followed her and watched as Eveleen tended to her garden. Her hands were diligent and quick it was obvious she knew her garden well and cared for it. Cook admired Eveleen the way she walked about, the way she cared so much about life, the way she sang to her garden as she tended to it, and the way she dealt with being different. She seemed as though she possessed a strength that gave hope to others. But underneath Eveleen was just as self -conscious as anyone else, she struggled with feeling alone and out of place. To her it seemed as though Cook had been the only one who actually seemed to care about her. She enjoyed cooks company and learning from Cook even if they had to take the lessons slow for safety.

“Cook I know you’re there, so I want to say I’m sure going to miss you when I leave,” Eveleen said

“I’m going to miss you two kid , I am really going to miss teaching you , and your company , You do what you do best okay and just be you , Don’t change for any one , I found you a job if you want it , You would be working as an assistant to the Duke’s cook and the Duke already said he would provide room and board , His cook knows your blind but he doesn’t so be careful kid if you except the job , Just let me know before you leave if that’s what you want to do and I will let the Duke know , He told me he would send over a carriage to pick you up if you excepted the position ,” said Cook

“That’s too much , you need not do such things for me , don’t get me wrong I appreciate that you would do that for me , but if I am to except any job my boss must know I am blind , If the Duke knows the truth ,and excepts me as I am then I shall happily take the position other way I will have to decline such an offer , Please send word to the Duke , I am in need to speak with him , Before I give answer ,” said Eveleen still tending to her garden .

The very next day Cook sent word to the Duke of Eveleen’s request to speak with him. The Duke was more than happy for her to come speak with him He sent a carriage and picked her up before the days end. Arriving at the Duke’s home was nerve racking .Eveleen had always been able to speak her mind with Cook but to have an audience with the duke she found it hard to summon her courage .

The Duke’s home was much grander then the Orphanage big corner stone pillars, Italian arch ways and marble terrace lead to the inner court of the house. Were an exotic garden was in full bloom. The scents filed their way into her nose and she knew that she was in a garden nothing like any she had ever been in before. Now more than ever with all the scents she wished she could see. From the garden there was a side door leading to the Duke’s study where he sat with the French doors open to the patio garden. The Duke beckoned for her to come in, he pulled out a chair for her to sit.

“Miss Eveleen how may I help you?” said the Duke

“Sir, I need to inform you of something before you have even the slightest Idea of hiring me on as your Cook’s assistant,” said Eveleen

“ I am blind sir , been blind since the day I was born , My parents wanted nothing to do with a blind child so they gave me up sir , I thought that you should know I am blind , For it is good for us to start out on the same page , But otherwise I was given my training by Cook of the orphanage , I work very well even without my sight ,” said Eveleen

“From the great reputation I’ve heard about I don’t doubt it, You may move in and start as soon as you’re ready to, for a short time my cook will train you in anything you haven’t learned yet , Then you will take on small amounts of work until she gives birth , she is pregnant and is due in a few months , after the birth she will need a few months to get back on her feet during that time you will be doing head cook duties , you will get free room and board and a small allowance of money ,” said the Duke

“That sounds fare sir , I have a few things to collect from the orphanage I should be no more than a week before I am ready ,” said Eveleen

“there is one more thing before you go miss Eve , you will wear a uniform on your days at work and we will get you a modest wardrobe for your days off spent either hear on the premises or where ever you chose to be on your days off,” said the Duke